Vilnius contains the largest Baroque old town in Eastern Europe and ends its most famous walk at the border of a self-declared micro-republic founded on April Fool’s Day by a group of artists. This vilnius walking tour companion post pairs with “Vilnius Walking Tour | Vilnius Historic Centre and Republic of Užupis | Lithuania 4K HDR” by the channel traveler_HIRO, filmed in August 2024, which covers the UNESCO-listed historic centre — from the hilltop castle above Cathedral Square through the Baroque lanes of the old town — and crosses into the bohemian Užupis district on the far bank of the Vilnia River. Few European capitals offer this range in a single walk.

About This Walking Tour

Traveler_HIRO’s August 2024 walk through Vilnius was filmed in 4K HDR, giving the city’s warm limestone and red-brick architecture a particularly rich depth on screen. The route begins at Gediminas Tower — the sole remaining tower of the Upper Castle, dating to the 14th century and standing on a hill above the city — which offers a panoramic view of the Baroque rooftops below.

Descending to Cathedral Square, the walk passes the Neoclassical Vilnius Cathedral and its detached bell tower before entering the old town via Pilies Street, the main medieval pedestrian artery lined with amber shops, galleries, and café terraces. The route passes St Anne’s Church, whose Flamboyant Gothic red-brick facade is one of the most celebrated pieces of architecture in Lithuania, before reaching the Gates of Dawn — the 16th-century city gate that houses a venerated icon of the Madonna, a major pilgrimage destination for Catholics across the region.

The walk then crosses the Vilnia River into Užupis, a neighbourhood that declared itself an independent republic in 1997, complete with a president, a currency, an anthem, and a 41-article constitution printed in multiple languages on plaques along a wall. The district has a genuine bohemian character — galleries, studios, and independent cafés occupy its former working-class buildings — and the contrast with the grandeur of the Baroque old town just minutes away is striking.

Highlights of Vilnius

St Anne’s Church is the old town’s most visually dramatic building. Its Flamboyant Gothic facade, built of 33 different types of red and dark brick, was completed around 1500 and has been perfectly preserved. Napoleon Bonaparte reportedly admired it so much during his 1812 campaign that he wanted to carry it back to Paris in the palm of his hand — a story that may be apocryphal but is entirely in keeping with the building’s impact on visitors.

The Gates of Dawn (Aušros Vartai) are the only surviving city gate from Vilnius’s 16th-century defensive walls. Above the gate arch, a chapel houses the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Vilnius, venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Pilgrims from across Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus come to pray here.

The Užupis Constitution, displayed on mirrored plaques in 22 languages, includes articles guaranteeing every person the right to be happy or unhappy, the right to be unique, and the right not to know their duties. The republic’s “border crossing” with Vilnius on April 1st — Užupis Day — involves street parties and passport stamping.

Vilnius was known before World War II as the “Jerusalem of Lithuania” for its large and culturally vibrant Jewish community. The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, once one of the most magnificent in Europe, was destroyed during the Nazi occupation. Today, several memorial sites and a small Jewish museum preserve the memory of a community of over 100,000 people, fewer than 10,000 of whom survived the war.

A Brief History of Vilnius

According to Lithuanian tradition, Vilnius was founded in 1323 by Grand Duke Gediminas, who dreamed of an iron wolf howling from a hilltop — interpreted as a sign to build a great city there. By the 15th and 16th centuries, Vilnius was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, one of the largest states in medieval Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The city’s old town grew during this period and the dominant architectural style — Baroque — was introduced by Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century, transforming the city with over 50 churches.

Vilnius passed to the Russian Empire in 1795 after the partition of Poland-Lithuania. The city had large Polish and Jewish populations throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries alongside Lithuanian speakers. After World War I it was disputed between Lithuania and Poland; Poland controlled the city from 1920 until the Soviet occupation of 1940. Nazi occupation from 1941 to 1944 destroyed the Jewish community almost entirely. Soviet rule resumed in 1944 and continued until 1990, when Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence. The old town, covering 3.6 square kilometres, is the largest surviving Baroque city centre in Eastern Europe and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Practical Tips

Lithuania uses the euro. Lithuanian is the official language, with English widely spoken among younger people and in the tourist areas of the old town. The historic centre is entirely walkable; the old town covers a large area but the main sights are concentrated along and near Pilies Street and Cathedral Square. Vilnius Airport is about 7 kilometres from the city centre, served by bus and taxi. The old town is best explored on foot; wear comfortable shoes as the streets are largely cobblestone. April 1st — Užupis Day — is a local celebration worth attending if your visit coincides.

Watch & Explore More

Watch the full traveler_HIRO video above to experience Vilnius’s Baroque streets and the Užupis crossing in real time, filmed in atmospheric 4K HDR. For more walking tours across the Baltic and Eastern Europe, visit @walkingtoursvideoscom. Related walks include Riga’s Art Nouveau district and Tallinn’s medieval towers.